


Our Love Could Change the World

by alecmagnuslwb



Series: The Immortal Inquisitor and High Warlock of Alicante [6]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Immortal Husbands, M/M, Post-Canon, the inquisitor and the high warlock of alicante
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-20
Updated: 2019-05-20
Packaged: 2020-03-08 18:27:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18900181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alecmagnuslwb/pseuds/alecmagnuslwb
Summary: Alec and Magnus get some unexpected job offers.





	Our Love Could Change the World

“I want to nominate you for Inquisitor,” Jia says without preamble before Alec even has the chance to settle into the chair across from her desk, Aline in the seat beside him.

It stuns Alec, his eyes wide. It’s not the first high official position Jia has offered him and there was a time when the offer was the only thing he ever wanted. It was his dream, but now his dream lives in New York with one man.

“Jia, I appreciate the offer, but,” he starts, Jia cutting him off immediately with a raised hand.

“You just got married three months ago and don’t want to have to be away from your husband?” she finishes for him with a raised brow.

“Yes, I’m happy where I am,” Alec says smiling looking to Aline at his right who is sporting a knowing smile of her own.

“I understand that, but it won’t be a problem,” Jia continues. Alec is ready to disagree, he knows that he and Magnus could survive the distance, but that doesn’t mean they should have to. His career is important to him, changing things for the better is important to him, but Magnus is more important and if he can’t change the world with Magnus by his side then it isn’t the way he wants to change it. “I’ve proposed a motion to lift the Downworlder ban in Idris permanently alongside the suggestion for your nomination. When we rebuilt the demon towers, they were reconfigured to only keep out pureblooded demons, the ban is nothing but a formality in name now. Once you’re officially named Inquisitor the motion will easily pass.”

Alec continues to be floored by Jia’s words. She’s evolved leaps and bounds the last few months, Aline’s coming out a huge part of those changes. She’s welcomed Downworlders and supported Alec’s move to expand his cabinet idea to every Institute he can at every turn. Her once subtle threats of keeping an eye on him no longer stand, now she understands the changes he wants to make and why they need to be made.

“You sound very confident about all of that,” Alec says hesitantly.

“I am,” she says leaning forward on her desk. “The current Inquisitor will be stepping down at weeks end, and he is, pardon my bluntness, older than most dinosaurs, the position needs young blood. Not just young, but respected, which you are. Our people are still recovering from the loss of hundreds at Jonathan Morgenstern’s hand, many of the Clave positions are currently held by interim leaders, many of whom are younger and come from the Institutes where your Downworld cabinet initiative has been implemented. For lack of a better term, you have the popular vote, my suggestion of your nomination at this afternoons meeting came with a very small minority of dissent. It’s yours if you want it.”

He’d be the youngest Inquisitor in their known history if he said yes, holding the second highest ranking position within their world that is arguably the most powerful position. He would be able to enact change at the highest levels for the whole of the Shadow World and have control and say over policies in individual Institutes no longer allowing them to discriminate in some while growth occurs in others. He’s not completely sure he wants it though, the Downworlder ban being lifted would make things easier for him and Magnus. But travel back and forth still doesn’t feel ideal and there’s also the matter of his newfound immortality, a thing the Clave isn’t aware of just yet, but will no doubt have some objections to.

Alec’s quietly contemplating for too long as far as Jia is concerned it seems soldiering on with her pitch.

“If you’re worried about your new life expectancy status making a difference here, it won’t. People will no doubt have plenty to say about it once word gets out, but you’re still a Shadowhunter are you not?” she says cautiously.

Alec eyes widen, “How did you-“ he starts.

“That’s my bad,” Aline speaks up smiling apologetically. She’s been one of the few people outside of New York that Alec has told about his choice to spend quite literally forever with Magnus. “Helen and I got a little excited talking about wedding plans with mom the other day and I spilled the beans.”

Alec smiles at her encouragingly, ensuring her he isn’t mad. He is a little concerned however, when he turns back to Jia.

“I don’t care,” she says before he can say a thing. “Good for you, it’s your life and your choice it doesn’t change a thing. You are still the best person for the job, anyone who thinks otherwise will just have to get over it. All that being said, it’s clear there’s something still holding you back, I’ll assume it’s the distance from Magnus even if the ban is lifted?”

Alec shakes his head in response, not certain of how to react to Jia’s easy acceptance of an immortal Shadowhunter sitting in her office and potentially becoming Inquisitor.

“We had an idea about that too, actually,” Jia says. “Well, my daughter had an idea, during a particularly impressive rant at a fairly ignorant Clave member yesterday.”

Alec turns to Aline who leans forward with a smile clearly proud that her mother is supporting whatever idea she has.

“Every major city in the world, and even some smaller ones, have a High Warlock, except for Alicante,” Aline says. “We employ warlocks more than any other city and once the Downworld ban lifts hopefully more Downworlders will not only pass through Idris, but maybe even move here one day. Having a Downworlder they can all look up to and lean on will not just make the changes easier, but will be a necessity.”

“We’d like to officially offer Magnus the position after you’re named Inquisitor, he’s well-known, beloved amongst the Downworld and more and more Shadowhunters every day, he’s revered as a hero after what he did to seal that rift and save our whole city, he might be more qualified for the position than you are for the one I’m offering you quite frankly,” Jia adds with a wry smile. “And don’t worry Aline will present the official motion to create the position and I’ll make the official offer so it doesn’t just look like you’re handing out a job to your own husband.”

It’s a lot, it’s a dream scenario he never thought possible, the change they could make at the higher level together could be astounding, the entire concept has Alec’s mind already churning with ideas. How they could expand the cabinet’s, make them mandatory not just an option Institutes reach out for at their own discretion. He can already see the idea he and Magnus have thrown around about having Downworlder delegates hold positions within the Clave coming to life, creating new roles for them to actively have a hand in making the choices and laws that affect them. Creating large scale Downworlder and Shadowhunter teams like the small unofficial ones they’ve formed in New York, not just Shadowhunters policing Downworlders instead establishing a system of checks and balances. 

“So, Magnus could live in Alicante? We could live here? No hold backs or restrictions, we wouldn’t have to fall to some rigid Clave law?” Alec asks.

Jia sighs, “I won’t say it’ll be easy, but yes. You’d live as you live in New York, no one could tell you what to do. Magnus would serve as his own boss; he’d serve the warlocks who come here first and foremost and those willing to pay for his services just as he did as the High Warlock of Brooklyn. The only interference the Clave would ever have in his role is making it in the first place. He’d also be granted access to meetings and decisions that will affect us all at large and specifically Idris itself. His voice will be heard and taken into consideration as if he were a member of the Clave essentially.”

Jia pauses her voice determined and assured, “The world is changing, our world is changing in the wake of everything that’s happened of late, mindsets are evolving, bridges long burned are being rebuilt. There will no doubt be naysayers, people who will sneer and wish to see you fail, but if we move fast and get you both into these positions now there won’t be a damn thing any of them can do about it. We may be a society that lives in the shadows, but we don’t need to live in the Dark Ages as well and we need leaders who can represent those moves forward.”

It all sounds too good to be true, but it could work. Alec knows that there’s nothing he and Magnus can’t do when they’re hand in hand.

“If there’s any two people who can do this, it’s you guys,” Aline adds with a soft smile.

Alec twirls his wedding ring on his finger, “I have to talk to Magnus about this before I give you any official answer.”

Jia nods, “I understand. Go home, talk to your husband. The confirmation meeting is in two days, I’ll expect an official response from the Lightwood-Bane’s this evening.”

She leaves no room for argument, like the fact of the matter is they will say yes to all of this. Like she already knows his answer, judging from the smile on her face it’s quite possible she does. Alec wants to say yes, but he won’t answer for Magnus. No matter how much has changed there’s still a view of this city that’s not the brightest in Magnus’ eyes and he refuses to makes this decision for him if he truly can’t find it in him to call this place home no matter what change they could bring about.

***

Despite the fact Alec spent his day in Idris, he manages to beat Magnus home. Magnus walks through the doors of their loft tilting his head back and forth to release the tension in his neck from the long day of endless clients. Alec’s stretched out on the couch, book in hand, the moonlight coming in from the balcony catching lightly on his wedding ring, his head shifts up to Magnus as soon as he reaches the back of the couch leaning over to place a light kiss on his husband’s lips.

“Hello, love,” Magnus says pulling back and rounding to the other side of the couch. Alec leans over putting his book on the coffee table as he moves his legs making space for Magnus to sit bracketed between his knees.

“Hi,” Alec says as Magnus settles his back to Alec’s chest comfortably, Alec’s arms wrapping around his waist. He sighs letting the stress of the day release looking up into his husband’s smiling eyes.

“You look awfully happy for someone who spent his day in Alicante with Jia,” Magnus says. He’s aware Jia has changed a considerable amount of late, and he can’t be one to begrudge such a thing since he’s a man who can now say he genuinely loves Maryse Lightwood, but Jia is still quite ridged.

Alec takes a deep breath before he speaks, “Yeah, that’s because it wasn’t so bad actually.”

Magnus hums closing his eyes as he leans back into Alec’s chest once again. “So, they’re actually pleased with your work on the Downworld Cabinets?”

“I’d say so,” Alec pauses taking another breath before he speaks again. “Jia wants to nominate me for Inquisitor.”

Magnus’ whole body stills. He wants to be elated for Alec, the change Alec could incite at such a high level would be astronomical and though he’s admittedly deeply biased he can’t think of a better person for the job. But Inquisitor means Alicante and just like what is hard to believe was only months ago when he’d been offered a position as a delegate, the job would mean they’d have to be apart. It’s a thing that Magnus has quickly learned they’re not good at and with them only three months into their marriage, Alec barely immortal for two months’ time he hates the concept of being away from each other even more than the last time it’d been presented to him.

“Alexander, I’m,” he says pausing to collect himself to tell Alec the truth.

“I know,” Alec says practically reading Magnus’ mind. Sometimes Magnus thinks there’s a chance he literally can. “But there’s more to it, otherwise I would’ve turned her down without a thought.”

Magnus turns best he can to look Alec in the eyes, yet stay comfortably placed where he is.

“What kind of more to it?” Magnus asks looking down to hold one of Alec’s hands playing with his fingers idly.

“She thinks I’m a shoe in for the position, says I have the popular vote in my favor, she also has announced a motion to lift the Downworlder ban in Idris that she’s certain can be the first thing to pass once I, if I,” he amends continuing on. “Get the position.”

Magnus’ head lifts up at that, the lift on the ban could change everything could mean they wouldn’t have to be apart, or at least could limit the time they spent apart by a large margin. A still somewhat sad margin, but a significant margin nonetheless.

“That’s incredible,” Magnus says and means it, the Downworld ban has been in place since the time of the Shadowhunters began, lifting it would be a monumental decision and step forward.

“Yeah it is, and it gets a little more incredible. Aline came up with an idea, a proposal that Jia and a number of others fully support about creating a new position in Alicante, a High Warlock position.”

Magnus’ eyes widen at that, lifting a ban is one thing, but willingly letting a warlock hold a position of power in their shining city of glass, that’s a whole other thing.

“Jia wants to formally offer it to you once she’s implemented it after I’m named Inquisitor, if I say yes that is, obviously I wanted to talk to you about it before any decision was made,” Alec says with a smile.

“Me?” Magnus says a little incredulously his history with Shadowhunters up until late has always been friendly with a cautious distance at best. “The Shadowhunters want Magnus Bane to have a position of power in their angel country?”

“Lightwood-Bane,” Alec corrects with a smile, Magnus can’t help but smile right back.

“Magnus Lightwood-Bane,” he amends.

“Magnus you’re more popular than me with Shadowhunters, you saved that angel country singlehandedly, plus you’re charming as fuck and even the most bigoted assholes of the Clave have to admit that.”

Magnus laughs at that; he is pretty damn charming.  

“What exactly would it mean if I said yes? If we said yes?” he says with serious consideration, if they do this there can’t be any loopholes, any restrictions.

Alec explains his entire conversation with Jia and Aline to him, the positions they would hold and what they could mean to their dreams for the future, a future where other Downworlders would make the choice to live in Idris with or without Shadowhunter partners coming and going as they please. He tells him that Jia knows about Alec’s immortality, that word about it will no doubt spread eventually, but that Jia doesn’t care to bat an eye at it.

Magnus can tell he’s excited about what these positions could mean for them but he’s trying to hold back just in case Magnus doesn’t agree with the yes that Alec clearly wants to give to Jia.

“I understand that it’s probably a lot of conflicting feelings for you about moving to Alicante though, we don’t have to do this,” Alec says in closing eyes wide in understanding and willing compromise.

Alec would give up this opportunity if Magnus said the word, give up his whole world just to ensure Magnus was safe and comfortable.

“I won’t lie, the idea of living in a place that I was barely welcomed in not so long ago is a bit discerning,” Magnus says pausing to collect his thoughts.

Alicante is a city Magnus has always correlated with the haughty egos of the Shadowhunters. Just like their angel blood they wouldn’t let those they deemed lesser near. But times have changed, there’s still that ego, that holier than thou state of mind in a fair share of the angel blooded, but there’s so many more who are learning and growing, who wish for change like his husband. Calling Alicante home could take some time, but home hasn’t been a place for him since the day he met Alec. Alec is home. Wherever they are, as long as they’re together, that’s home.

“But we could change everything,” Magnus continues. “When we got married at the Institute you were right about the message that would send to others like us, this message would be even louder. Plus, Alicante has great balconies.” He finishes cheekily.

Alec laughs at that, “You do love a good balcony, but are you sure?” he asks seriously. “Are you absolutely sure? I can’t ever know exactly how it feels, but I do know that Alicante hasn’t exactly been kind to you over the years.”

“No, it hasn’t,” Magnus says turning more reaching out a hand to cup Alec’s cheek. “But you always have been and maybe it could be too. I can’t pass up the opportunity this provides, we can’t, this could change everything, we could make the world safer, equal for Downworlders and Shadowhunters and if anyone tries to give me or us any shit, I can handle it.”

“We can handle it,” Alec says turning to kiss Magnus’ palm sweetly. “We shouldn’t have to, but we can.”

They can, they shouldn’t have to, he’s right, but they can. Their love changed his world and it could change the world at large as well. They quietly stay tangled together for a few minutes, soaking up the fact that this is real, that this is happening.

“I do have one condition though,” Magnus prompts which makes Alec raise an eyebrow. “We bring the loft with us, I love a good balcony, but this one is my favorite. I fell in love with you right here and I won’t trade that for a high tower with stained glass windows no matter how exquisite the architecture may be.”

Alec smiles. “I’m with you on that, whatever space they want to give us, our home can take its place,” he leans in to kiss Magnus quickly. “So, we’re doing this?” he asks hopeful and excited.

“We’re doing this, Mister Inquisitor,” Magnus responds brushing his fingers down Alec’s jaw. “Or would it be Inquisitor Lightwood-Bane?”

Alec shakes his head fondly with a smile, eyes bright looking at Magnus like he’s the only thing in the world.

“It’s just Alexander to you.”

**Author's Note:**

> That's a power couple y'all! 
> 
> tumblr: alecmagnuslwb


End file.
